The cover
of the current issue of Advanced Functional Materials
features artwork that illustrates the article authored
by Drs. Graham and Davis, along with two colleagues
from the University of Louisville, Drs. Sunkara and
Sharma. The article is entitled "Nanoweb Formation:
2D Self-Assembly of Semiconductor Gallium Oxide Nanowires/Nanotubes."

Abstract

This paper reports a method to produce networks of crystalline
gallium oxide comprised of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures.
Because of the unique arrangement of wires, these
crystalline networks are termed as 'nanowebs.' Nanowebs
are of great technological interest since they contain
wire densities of the order of 109 cm-2.
A possible mechanism for the fast self-assembly of
crystalline metal oxide nanowires involves multiple
nucleation and coalescence via oxidation-reduction
reactions at the molecular level. The preferential
growth of nanowires parallel to the substrate enabled
them to coalesce into regular polygonal networks.
The individual segments of the polygonal network consist
of both nanowires and nanotubules of gallium oxide.
Individual wire properties contribute to a nanoweb's
overall capacity and the implications for devices
based on nanowebs are expected to be enormous.